iii. Synopsis (Goal, Objectives, Hypothesis

iii. SYNOPSOIS

TITLE : SIDDI HERITAGE CULTURAL CENTER.

THESIS QUESTIONS:

WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN THE FORM OF A MONUMENT FOR THEIR CULTURE ?

THESIS STATEMENT(s):

Who are the Siddi people and how can we raise awareness to the public about their culture?

The Siddis of Karnataka (also spelled Siddhis) are an ethnic group inhabiting India. Members are descended from Bantu peoples from Southeast Africa that were brought to the Indian subcontinent as slaves by Portuguese merchants. There is a 50,000 strong Siddi population inhabiting the coastal region of Karnataka for around 500 years now. Yet, these people have been socially and economically neglected. Hence, In my opinion, the Siddi people need a much needed form of recognition and what better way than to make a monumental heritage park.

INTENT OF DESIGN STUDY / RESEARCH:

The intention behind this particular project is due to the fact that the culture of this group of people that live among us is almost obscure to the people not associated with them. This sort of history needs to be engraved somewhere an the architectural solution for this problem is seemingly the foremost method to solve it.

RELEVANT CASE STUDIES PERTAINING TO THIS TOPIC :

National Crafts Museum, New Delhi, India Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum,

CajaGranada Cultural center, Andalucia, Spain King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture,KSA

LITERATURE REVIEW:

A few sources for studying museum and cultural architecture thoroughly are :

1) Museum Architecture : A new Biography - Suzanne McLeod (2013) 2) Architecture : Form, Space and Order - Francis D.K. Ching (1979) 3) Architects Data - Ernst Neuferts(1936) 4) Time-Saver Standards for Arcitectural Design Data - John H. Callendar (1966)

DATA COLLECTION:

Majority of the Siddi people in Karnataka are Hindus, but a significant number of them are Muslims and Christians. Though most of the people are found in the Ghat areas of Yellapur and Ankola. They are bound by the belief of ‘Hirayu’ or ancestor worship. The Siddis speak the language of Konkani being from Goa. But they also speak Kannada and Marathi languages. Occupations of most Siddis are either farmers, casual labourers or both of these occupations. The Siddis of Karnataka are known in recent years for their unique style of quilting called kawandi. According to latest estimates there are around 3,700 Siddi families in the state with a total population of 18,000. Other Siddhi populations in the subcontinent include around 10,000 in Gujarat and 12,000 in Hyderabad. These people live together in settlements and their houses are made of the local brick and tile roof.

DESIGN AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY : More research has to be done on the siddi people and their culture and a decision needs to be made whether the monument that is to be constructed is to be for all the Siddi people of Indian heritage and if so, how do we do justice so as to bind a monument together with all of their cultures. More research needs to be made on the peoples culture, food, lifestyle and celebratory worships.

Site co-ordinates - 15°15'36.6"N 74°37'27.3"E (Site is located in the town of Dandeli) Nearest landmark is be St.Joseph the Worker Church. Site is 6 Kilometers north of Chapoli post office. Site area - 12.4 acres. Site is covered with wild grass and a few Acacia trees growing wildly. The site comes under the tourist town of Dandeli and is located almost at the center of this town.

DESIGN BREIF:

This new ‘Cultural Heritage’ park would be an acknowledgement to the Siddi culture. It would consist of public spaces like parks as well as squares. There would need to be a central heritage exhibit or museum. There would be a place for tourists to take part in the cultural ways of the Siddi peoples and their lifestyle.

SPECIALISTS/CONSULTANTS REQUIRED

1) Local labour to carry the style of constructon.

2) Local craftsmen and artists.

3) Curator to guide with the obscure culture.

DESIGN DELIVERABLES:

The design process will be done on computer software such as Autocad for the 2d drawings. The 3D visualizations will be done on Sketchup and Revit. A full working BIM model will be made on Revit to scale. Presentations and Image editing would be done on Photoshop.